Staff Industrial Unions: FUO Management Fast-Tracks Take-Off.

Management of Federal University Otuoke has commenced the process of actualizing its announcement at the 5th Matriculation Ceremony that the ban on all forms of Unionism has been lifted.

In a related development, members of the University Community were informed through an official notice by the Registrar Mr. David Suowari on 14th January 2016 that management is making efforts to contact the National and Zonal executives of the various Unions.

According to the correspondence the Unions are Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT).

The Registrar also stated that the effort is also geared towards arranging for meetings with the various Unions in order to constitute caretaker committee and subsequent elections of the executives that will pilot the affairs of these Unions in FUO.

Reacting to the development in the University, staff of the University have expressed enthusiasm, appreciating the efforts of the Prof. Mobolaji Aluko led administration in ensuring that Unions spring up in the University, while also urging Management to be sincere in their efforts and not involve themselves in the activities of the Union.

According to Mr. Umanna Donald Ikenna a Technologist in Physics Department, “This is a welcome development; it will give Technologists a platform to speak on matters that concerns them thereby creating a cordial relationship between Management and staff, although it is difficult, I urge Management to allow the Union to be Independent”.

Dr. ChrisOnyema, Head of General Studies, FUO said “this is a good thing, it will allow for collective bargaining thereby allowing groups interest to be presented either as needs or wants, reasonable or outrageous under the watchful eyes of Management, staff should be careful in electing the union leadership to ensure that only credible, experienced and trustworthy people conduct the major affairs of these unions’’.

For Mr. Felix Ebi an Accountant in the Bursary Unit “I am Happy that at last Management has lifted the ban on Unionism”. According to him, this development will favour both Management and staff in the area of information dissemination. He however said that the process of contacting the National and Zonal Executives should be made faster.

Efforts are also made to ensure that the Students Union Associations also take-off soonest.